CMS Cameron McKenna lands top property award
CMS Cameron McKenna has been named commercial property law firm of the year, but City giants Clifford Chance and Linklaters still dominate the field, a guide published last week has claimed.
According to New City Media's 2001 guide, Commercial Property, what had been viewed in the past by firms as an 'old-fashioned, boring and not wonderfully profitable' practice area is increasingly being seen as important by those firms wanting 'credibility on the corporate stage'.
Guide editor Mark Brandon said Camerons took the top slot for its 'forward movement' in recent years.
The firm has successfully fused the 'two relatively ordinary mid-tier property practices' - of pre-merger firms Cameron Markby Hewitt and McKenna & Co - into 'a major contender', he said.
Nevertheless, Clifford Chance and Linklaters, which gained the overall top rating in last year's guide, again topped the guide's elite 'international super league' division - which was created to allow readers to compare like with like.
'These two firms are bigger and more extensive than any others.
Even when matched by type of practice, other firms don't have the sheer resource offered by the top two,' Mr Brandon said.
They headed Lovells and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Berwin Leighton and Nabarro Nathanson secured joint top spot in the 'UK superkings' league for the next tier down.
They were followed jointly by Ashurst Morris Crisp and Herbert Smith, and then by Camerons, which the guide said 'is now pushing for a place in the super league'.
The guide's 'client service law firm of the year' award went to Dechert.
Sue Allen
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